5. But although she was well acquainted with the languages and customs of ancient Greece and Rome, she knew little of the wants and aims of her native country, and was therefore totally unfit to be an English sovereign.

6. Very soon after the young king had made his will he died, and Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed queen. The Duke of Northumberland, however, was so much disliked by the people that they helped Edward's sister Mary to become queen, and the Lady Jane was sent to live in the Tower of London. Her husband was also sent there as a prisoner.

7. Perhaps Mary would have allowed them to live there quietly, but by-and-bye a number of Englishmen marched to London to fight against the queen, and to place Lady Jane again on the throne. Then Mary said that the two prisoners must die.

8. As Lady Jane was sitting at a window she saw her husband taken away to be executed, and after a short time she saw the dead body brought back in a cart.

9. Presently an her to the block.

officer entered her room to lead She went quickly up the steps of the scaffold, and asked the people who were there to bear witness that she died a true Christian woman.

10. Some one gave her a handkerchief to tie over her eyes. When she was blindfolded she felt for the block on which she was to lay her head, but as she could not find it one of the by

standers led her to it. Then she laid her head down and said, "Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

11. With one blow of the axe her head was severed from her body, and Lady Jane Grey was no more. She was only seventeen years of age when she was put to death in this cruel manner.

King Edward the Sixth was a Protestant, and as he did not wish his sister Mary, who was a Roman Catholic, to be queen when he died, he left the crown to his Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey. The people disliked the chief nobleman on the side of Lady Jane, and helped Mary to become queen. Lady Jane and her husband were sent as prisoners to the Tower, and after a time were beheaded.

1. On a dull November day, in the middle of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, five small ships might have been seen sailing out of Plymouth Harbour, The largest of the five was called The Pelican. On board of it was Francis Drake, one of the boldest of British seamen, and the commander of the little fleet.

2. Drake had often been on long voyages, and had obtained much money by plundering the Spaniards in South America, with whom the English in those days were always at war. He was so well known that he had no difficulty in finding men willing to share the dangers of another voyage, in the hope of getting more of the Spaniards' gold and precious stones.

3. Nine months after leaving England, Drake sailed round the extremity of South America, and found himself in the Pacific Ocean, which the Spaniards thought belonged entirely to themselves.

4. He had become parted from the other vessels of his fleet, but in his own ship, The Pelican, he sailed along the coast, attacking and plundering the Spaniards whenever he had an opportunity.

5. The Spaniards did not expect that an English ship would dare to venture into the Pacific Ocean,

and as they were therefore unprepared to oppose Drake, he found them an easy prey.

6. In one harbour which he visited there lay a large Spanish ship, whose crew mistook The Pelican for a vessel from Spain, and made ready to feast their supposed countrymen.

7. Great were the surprise and dismay of the Spanish sailors when The Pelican bore down upon them, and they found that they would have to fight their most dreaded foes instead of giving a hearty welcome to friends. The English soon boarded and captured the ship, which proved to be a valuable prize, for in it was much gold.

8. At another port Drake seized a great quantity of silver bars which were piled upon the quay; and as he was about to row away with them, another load was brought down to the quay by men who knew not of the presence of the English.

9. Drake obtained more gold and silver, as well as many jewels, as he sailed along the coast. He went on and on in a north-westerly direction, hoping to find a passage round North America from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.

10. As he could not do this, he altered his course and sailed quite across the Pacific. He passed Java, and other islands lying between Australia and Asia, then rounded the Cape of Good Hope, at the south of Africa, and was thus once more in the Atlantic.

11. It was nearly three years after Drake had left England when his little ship again appeared in Plymouth Harbour. The people were much sur

prised to see him, for they had long thought he must be dead.

12. There was great rejoicing throughout the country when it became known that Drake had sailed round the world, for he was the first Englishman who had ever done so.

13. The queen ordered him to take The Pelican up a little creek near Deptford. Then she went on board, and there was a grand banquet. Before the queen left the ship she knighted its brave captain, and thus he became Sir Francis Drake.

Ban-quet, a great feast.

Ex-trem-it-y, end.

Creek, a small inlet or bay of the Knight-ed its brave cap-tain.

sea or a river.

Dis-may', fear.

Elizabeth began to reign,

Gave him the title of Sir.
Plun-der-ing, robbing.

Drake sailed round the World,

SUMMARY.

In the middle of the reign of Queen Elizabeth five small ships, under the command of Francis Drake, sailed from Plymouth Harbour. Nine months after leaving England, Drake sailed round the extremity of South America. By that time he had lost sight of four vessels. He plundered the Spaniards along the coast, and tried to find a passage round North America into the Atlantic. As he could not do that, he sailed across the Pacific, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and thus reached England. He was the first Englishman who sailed round the world. There was great rejoicing on, his return, and, as a reward for his bravery, he was knighted by the queen.